Audi R8 V10 vs Audi R8 V10 Plus — Is the Plus worth it?

When Audi first unveiled the “Plus” version of the R8, it didn’t really make that much of a difference. It was a bit faster, a bit stiffer and a bit sportier. However, the standard R8 was never a slouch. With this new, second-gen R8, the “Plus” variant debuted right alongside the standard Audi R8 V10, packing considerably more power and a much higher price tag. So is it worth it to get the Audi R8 V10 Plus over the standard Audi R8 V10? Auto Express does the chore of finding out. Champagne problems, these.

Sitting side-by-side, these two are proper supercars. The standard Audi R8 V10 packs an impressive 533 hp fro its 5.2 liter, naturally-aspirated V10 engine and it weighs 1,595 kg (3,516 lbs). The Audi R8 V10 Plus packs even more punch, with a mighty 602 hp from a tuned version of the same engine and weighs 1,630 kg (3,593). In America, the Audi R8 V10 costs $162,900 and its V10 Plus counterpart costs $189,900, or $27,000 more.

So Auto Express put both cars together and drag raced them to 1,000 meters to see if the V10 Plus’ extra power and speed is worth its extra cost. To make things fair, both cars have a seven-speed dual-clutch S-Tronic gearbox (although, no other is offered), both and both have the same Continental tires. So there’s no cheating here.

Both cars fire off the line with impressive ferocity. However, it’s clear the R8 V10 Plus is the faster car. Auto Express breaks down their acceleration into three segments: 0-30 mph, 0-60 mph and 0-100 mph. The V10 Plus is faster in every segment, doing 0-30 mph in 1.5 seconds, 0-60 mph in 3.0 seconds and 0-100 mph n 6.8 seconds, compared to the standard car’s 1.7, 3.5 and 7.2, respectively. In the 1,000m race, things got a bit closer, though. The Audi R8 V10 Plus did the standing kilo in 19.9 seconds at 168.1 mph, while the standard car did it in 20.5 seconds at 162.3 mph.

So, the Audi R8 V10 Plus is quite a bit quicker than the standard car but not by much and even the standard car is ridiculously fast. So is the V10 Plus worth the extra money over the regular and still brilliant Audi R8 V10?

Useful Searches

About US

Our community has been around for many years and pride ourselves on offering unbiased, critical discussion among people of all different backgrounds. We are working every day to make sure our community is one of the best.